Best Ways to Keep a Family Man Sane?

Kids like tangible objects, something they can hold in their little hands. My ex's kids loved when I sent postcards. They aren't expensive and are easily found. A short note to let them know you are thinking of them, and that special feeling of getting mail makes a kid feel great. They can collect them from each state you go to, maybe pin them up in their rooms. Little trinkets when you come home, if you are careful about it and get only one or two things each time you are out, it should not put much of a dent in the finances. Stick with it buddy, the rewards of being able to NOT have to decide between paying this bill or that bill or taking the kids to get ice cream, are priceless. Eventually you will be able to move into something that allows you to be home more. Just keep your eye on the prize and remember why you are out here.

 

Don't forget your wife she would like a little gift every now and then too. Good luck

 

And your wife can talk to you on the phone as you go along when she is home and if you are up driving, it helps a whole lot. As a company driver you will most likely have the routes on a route solution sent to you that you are supposed to drive. If your wife does get to be a stay at home mom, maybe less nerve racking for her in the long run, she can google map your route and she can use www.findfuelstops.com to locate stopping points for you for breaks or sleeping for your 10hr sleeper; of course you can also do this yourself, I prefer a laptop myself compared to trying to use a cell phone. You can also use the map to zoom in to see where you are and hopefully where the dock is, etc.

 

I too am in a similar situation (wife + kid + student loan debt + dead end job). I too will miss them and lord knows I dread the thought of my little princess missing me (she's 3). But the time has come to cowboy up, so to the OP, let's just get it done.

Roehl is a good starting company (was 3 out of my top 5 picks) they declined me (no worries, I'm going to orientation at #2) so you should make more than you need ($500 per week seem to be on the low end of what people here say the made year one) so GO FOR IT!!!

Good Luck!!!

 

You're on the right track to a good future. You have a couple of real good options after you gain a few months experience. One good option is to get your tanker/hazmat endorsements and haul fuel/chemicals locally. Another is working for NTB Inc. right there in Grand Rapids. Check their website. Good driving jobs there plus office work for accountants. The drivers probably make more than the office workers though.

 

I feel what your saying I'd move to the east coast where local trucking jobs are easy to find and be home every night.

 

Why take a job that has you out so long?? You live in Grand Rapids? Is that MI? You really should talk to someone at Equity Transportation They take students now I here. The trucks are not the best anymore but you would be by the house a hell of a lot more.

 

First you can't prepare the family for this, sorry if this goes against other's advice.

The best thing to do is to prepare for the little disasters at home like a furnace problems, water heater problems, how to replace a fuse or reset a circuit breaker and so on.

Keep a list of numbers for the company and info for your wife to have just in case something happens to you.

If you have a computer at home, get a camera and take pictures of things on the road and send the pictures to them or better yet post them on one of them picture sites.

A phone call in the morning and at night helps a lot, staying connected is important on a daily basis.

Remember millions of people do this all the time, some with huge issues at home but they survive.

AND if the OTR thing isn't working out, build your time and find local work, it doesn't have to be in a truck hauling a trailer full of stuff but other things like a switcher or construction.

Oh and one last thing, if your marriage is rocky, don't consider this profession, it can speed up the demise of any marriage if there isn't any strength to hold it together.

 

before you go out to roehl, i would suggest putting in an application with abf
they have openings in grand rapids for both full time and part time driver/checker. at least make an attempt to get your foot in the door.

a plan B as they say

 

Being away from your family can be challenging when you drive a truck over the road. Once you gain a year or two of solid experience, it will be easier to find a carrier that may be able to get you home more frequently. There are a handful of carriers that manage to get drivers home most weekends, even if it is just for a day. You need to make more money. You can make much more in trucking than what you are currently earning. There is a price to pay for everything we gain. Most people find that in order to earn more money that they will need to spend more time away from their families. Life is a trade off. Most phones today have camera's. You could take photo's of your travels and chronicle your trips. I used to take lots of pictures. It helps the family to feel a part of your travels. When I first started trucking we had to find a pay phone and call home collect or using a phone card. It was expensive, so calls were rare. We could also send post cards or write letters. Email is faster and cheaper for most people these days. You can get a prepaid phone with unlimited calling, data and text for $50 or less. That is cheap compared to what most cell phone companies charge for billing you. Some phones also have the ability to see the person to whom you are talking. It isn't quite like being there in person, but is a good way to stay in touch.